Signal responsive to restoration of interrupted current flow



D. E. PHILLIPS ET AL SIGNAL RESPONSIVE TO RESTORATION OF INTERRUPTED CURRENT FLOW Filed March 15, 1954 June 19, 1956 FIG. 3

FIG. 2

INVENTORS. DANA E. PHiLLlPS ORIS E. PHILLIPS Attorney.

United rates SlGNAL RESPONSIVE T RESTORATION OF INTERRUPTED CURRENT FLOW Application March 15, 1954, Serial No. 416,263

8 Claims. (Cl. 340-253) This invention relates to means for association with an electrical circuit, or with conventional elements of electric appliances, to signal restoration of current flow through the circuit, or through the appliance element, after such flow has once been interrupted, whereby to advise that there has been a lapse of continuous current supply, and has as an object to provide novel and improved means of such character.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel and improved means efiective to signal restoration of interrupted current flow through an electric circuit that is conveniently applicable to use with a wide variety of electric appliances and electric wiring installations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved signal responsive to restoration of interrupted current flow in an electric circuit that generates an audible signal in reaction to the restored current flow until manually reset.

A further object of the invention is to provide a signal of the character described that is particularly adapted for use with the usual domestic circuits of alternating current type.

A further object of the invention is to provide a signal of the character described that is convenient of operative association with conventional electric appliances.

A further object of the invention is to provide a signal of the character described that is simple and inexpensive of construction and installation, positive and efficient in attainment of the ends for which designed, which is susceptible of ready adjustment, and which is an adjunct to and not an element of the circuit with which it is associated.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, our invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of elements as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in our claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a side elevation of a typical embodiment of the invention as operatively associated in non-signaling relation with a conventional appliance element subject to continuous flow of current therethrough.

Figure 2 is an edge elevation of the organization shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation opposite to the showing of Figure 1 illustrating the improvement in its signaling position assumed in reaction to interruption of current flow through the associated appliance element.

While rare, failures of electric supply do occur, such failures being commonly of brief duration and yet sufiicient to disturb the normal and correct operation of appliances and equipment being served. Many conventional appliances are self-starting upon resumption of current flow after a lapse and are equipped with visual signals denotive of the current interruption, but such visual signals are easy to overlook with consequent inaccurate or improper functioning of the appliance or equipment, hence the instant invention is directed to the provision of means generative of an audible signal atent G 2,751,579 Patented June 19, 1956 continuous until manually interrupted and denotive of the fact that current flow has been reestablished in the associated circuit following an interruption thereof.

The improved signal is reactive to magnetic fields generated by flow of electric current through a coil, such electromagnetic devices being quite common in certain appliances, such as electric clocks, being susceptible of inclusion at any desired point in any conventional circuit, and being, in and of themselves, no part of the instant invention save as the locus or essential environment for the improvement.

Typical of many electromagnetic units included in an electric circuit, a portion of an electric clock motor is diagrammatically illustrated as including a coil 10 through which current is arranged to flow in a usual manner by means of conductors 11, and a magnetically-susceptible core 12, in this instance of interrupted rectangular form, having an element axially traversing the coil 10 in a customary arrangement. So long as current flows through the conductors 11 and the coil 10, the core 12 is magnetized in accordance with well known principles, but when there is failure of current flow through the coil the magnetism of the core disappears. A bracket 13 is appropriately fixed, in this instance to a lower corner of the core 12, to dispose the free end of the bracket in spaced, overlying relation with the midlength of the coil 14) at a side of the latter which provides unobstructed access tothe upper and lower ends of the core portion traversing the coil, and a pin 14 carried by the free end of the bracket 13 in spaced relation with the adjacent side of the coil 10 and perpendicular to the direction of the coil axis pivotally mounts a fiat strip member 15 of magnetically-susceptible material. The lower end of the member 15 is bent to extend inwardly below the lower end of the coil 10 and terminates in a flat contact head 16 disposed to abut the adjacent lower end of the core 12 when the principal length of the member is parallel to the coil 10, as in Figure l, and the other end of said member 15 is bent inwardly to clear the upper end of the coil 10 and terminates in an arcuate finger 17 disposed in spaced opposition to the upper end of the core 12 when the contact head 16 is against the lower end of said core, the weight distribution and relationship of the member 15-, head 16, and finger 17 being such as to approach said finger to the adjacent side of the core 12 and to space said head away from the lower end of the core, as shown in Figure 3, when the member is free to react to the influence of gravity. When approached to and held in slightly spaced relation with the adjacent side of the core 12, the finger 17 of the member 15 functions as the vibrator element of an electric buzzer in reaction to the magnetism of said core induced by flow of alternating current through the coil 10, and an arm 13 fixedly outstanding from the bracket 13 is arranged With a free end spacedly overlying the member 15 at the side of the pin 14 remote from said finger wherethrough an adjusting screw 19 threadedly engages with its axis substantially perpendicular to that of said pin to bear at its inner end against the member 15 as an adjustable stop determinative of the gap between the finger 17 and adjacent surface of the core 12 when said member is free to react to the influence of gravity.

Thus, the member 15 being free to swing on its pin 14 and having under the influence of gravity assumed the position shown in Figure 3, flow of current through the coil 16 and consequent magnetizing of the core 12 prothe buzzer signal is applied to manual interruption or 'the signal and simultaneous resetting of the signal device for subsequent automatic operation is response to restoration of current flow through the coil after an interruption of-such flow, as-well as-to suchadiustmcnts and corrections of the appliances and-equipment served a by the circuit through the coilas may'be needful. 'With current flow established through the coil 10, the lower end of the core-12 is magnetized to grip and hold the contact head 16 of the member 15 when said-head is-approachedclosely thereto as the member is oscillated on its pin 14, it being operatively feasible to directly engage and manually rock said member on its pin without the V V aid of intermediate agents when the device is expediently accessible. When the coil withits associated member 15 is housed, or diflicult of access, it-may be expedient to provide supplementary facilities. actuable to approach the contact head 16 to and 01 retention by the magnetized core, one practical arrangement for such purpose being illustrated as a leg- 20 fixedly diverging from the lower end of the bracket 13 and mount ng at its free end a pin 21 spacedly paralleling the pin 14 and in clearing relation below the free end of the plate 16, and an actuating lever 22 hinged on said pin 21 and depending at one end therefrom'to dispose its upper end spacedly overlying and the obvious function of the lever 22 to engage at its upper end against the plate 16 and to thereby rock the member 15 on the pin 14 to approach said plate to and within the magnetic influence of the adjacent core 12 when the depending portion of the lever is shifted, by whatever means, in the direction and to the position indicated by broken lines in Figure l. As the plate 16jis moved toward the adjacent end of the core 12, the finger 17 is retracted away from the portion of the core adjacent thereto and out of the magnetic field of said core portion sufliciently to nullify the vibratory reaction of said finger and to 7 thereby silence the buzzer signal, the magnetic attraction of the plate 16 to the core 12 retaining said finger out of coacting relation with its core portion. so long as current continues to flow through the. coil 10. A cushion or pad Weclaimas. our n ention; 7 1. A signal of the character described comprising, an electric circuit, an electromagnetic coil included in said a circuit, a core axially traversing and magnetizable by flow of current through said coil, a member of magnetically-susceptible material hinged intermediate its ends longitudinally of an exteriorly adjacent said coilto rock in a 1 plane radially of the coil, an angularly-related portion at 23 of suitable material, such as felt, may be fixed to the a core 12, or to the plate 16, as a bufl er between the adjacent and otherwise contacting surfaces of said elements. With maintained current flow through the coil 10 and i the plate 16 magnetically held to the core 12 in the association of elements represented by Figure l the signal device is silent and inoperative. current flow through the coil, the magnetic grip on the plate 16 is nullified and the member 15 swings in' reaction to the influence of gravity to engagement against the screw 19 and to the position shown in Figure 2, in which disposition of elements the finger 17 is approached to and for vibratory reaction with the core 12 and the plate 16 is withdrawntout of reactive relation with the magnetic field of the adjacent core portion, so that, when current flow is reestablished through the coil 10 the audible signal is generated as the finger 17 reacts to the magnetism of i the reenergized core and the signal is continued until the lever 22 is operated to magnetically engage the plate 16 with the core and to shift the finger 17 out of its cooperating relation with the core other end. I

Since changes, variations, and modifications in the form; construction, and arrangement of the elements shown and described may be had without departing from the spirit of our invention, we wish to-be understood as Upon interruption of' being limited solely by the scope of the appended claims, a

rather than'byany details of the illustrative showing; and f reg ing d scr p ion; 7

one end of said member terminating in a contact plate engageable against and for magnetic retention by the adjacent end of said core, an angularly-related finger at the other end of said member vibratorily reactive in appropriate close, approach to the other end of said core,

said finger being retracted out of coact'ing relation with the core when said contact plate is held to the core, and adjustable means engageable by and to limit swing of said member when the contact plate is released from magnetic grip against the core, whereby to determine consequent approach of said finger to the core.

2. A signal of the character described comprising, an

electric circuit, an electromagnetic coil includedin said circuit, a core axially traversing and magnetizable by flow of current through said coil, a member of magnetically-susceptible material hinged intermediate its ends longitudinally of and exteriorly adjacent said coil to rock in a plane radially of the coil, an angularly-related portion at one end of said memberterminating in a. contact plate engageable against and for magnetic retention by the adjacent endtof said core, an angularly-related finger at the other end of said member vibratorily reactive in appropriate close approach to the other end of said core,

said finger being retracted out of coacting relation with the core when said contact plate is held to the core, adjustable means engageable by. and to limit swing of said member when the contact plate is released from magnetic grip against the core, whereby to determine consequent approach of said finger to the core, and means manually' and selectively actuable to rock said member into engagement of its contact plate with the core.

3, A signal of the character described comprising, an

electric circuit, an electromagnetic coil included in said circuit with its axis substantially vertical, a core axially traversing and magnetizable by flow of current through said coil, a member of magnetically-susceptible material 7 hinged intermediateits ends longitudinally of and exteriorlyadjacent said coil to rock about a substantiallyhorizontal axis in a plane radially of the coil, an angularly-related portion at the lower end of said member terminating in a contact plate engageable against and for magnetic retention by the lower end of said core when said member is substantially vertical, an angularly-related finger at the upper end of said member vibratorily reactive in appropriate close approach to the upper end of said core, the elements of said member being propor- V tioned in a weight unbalance relative to the axis supporting said member effective to retract the free end of sa id finger out of coacting relation with the adjacent core end when the contact plate is held to the core and to approach the free end of the finger to the adjacent core end as said member rocks under the influence of gravity when the contact plate is released from magnetic grip against the 7 traversing and magnetizable by flow of current through said coil, a member of magnetically-susceptible material hinged intermediate its ends longitudinally of and exteriorly adjacent said coil to rock about a substantiallyhorizontal axis in a plane radially of the coil, an angularly-related portion at the lower end of said member terminating in a contact plate engageable against'an'd for magnetic retention by the lower end of said core when said member is substantially vertical, an angularly-related finger shorter than said portion at the lower end of the member at the upper end of said member terminating in a free end vibratorily reactive in appropriate close approach to the magnetized upper end of the core, said finger free end being retracted out of coacting relation with the core when the contact plate is held to the lower end of the core and the weight unbalance of said member and its elements being effective to rock the member under the influence of gravity to approach the free end of the finger to the upper end of the core when said contact plate is released from magnetic grip by the core, adjustable stop means engageable by a lower portion of said member to limit swing thereof outwardly away from the coil, whereby to determine approach of the finger free end to the core, and a lever manually and selectively actuable about a hinge axis spacedly paralleling the axis supporting said member to swing said member away from the stop means and into engagement of the contact plate with the lower end of the core.

5. In an electric circuit including an electromagnetic coil and a core axially traversing and magnetizable by fiow of current through said coil, a signal audibly responsive to restoration of interrupted current flow through said circuit, said signal comprising a strip member mounted longitudinally of and exteriorly adjacent said coil to rock in a plane radially of the coil about an axis intermediate the strip ends, an end portion outstanding angularly from said member and terminating in a contact plate of magnetically-susceptible material engageable against and for retention by the adjacent magnetized end of said core, a finger shorter than said end portion outstanding angularly from the other end of said member and terminating in a free end of magnetically-susceptible material vibratorily reactive in appropriate close approach to the adjacent magnetized end of the core, whereby to retract the free end of the finger from the adjacent end of the core when the contact plate is held to the core and to approach said finger free end to the core when the contact plate is released from its magnetic grip to the core, and adjustable stop means engageable by said member to limit approach of the finger free end to the core.

6. In an electric circuit including an electromagnet c coil with its axis substantially vertical and a core axially traversing and magnetizable by flow of current through said coil, a signal audibly responsive to restoration of interrupted current flow through said circuit, said signal comprising a strip member mounted longitudinally of and exteriorly adjacent said coil to rock in a plane radially of the coil about a substantially-horizontal axis intermediate the strip ends, a lower end portion outstanding angularly from said member and terminating in a contact plate of magnetically-susceptible material engageable against and for retention by the magnetized lower end of the core when the member is substantially vertical, a finger shorter than said lower end portion outstanding from the upper end of said member and terminating in a free end vibratorily reactive in appropriate close approach to the magnetized upper end of the core, whereby the free end of said finger is retracted out of coacting relation with the upper end of the core when said contact plate is held to the lower end of the core and the unbalanced weight of the member and its elements acts under the influence of gravity to approach the finger free end to the upper end of the core when said contact plate is released from its magnetic grip to the lower end of the core, and adjustable stop means engageable by said member to limit approach of the finger free end to the core.

7. In an electric circuit including an electromagnetic coil with its axis substantially vertical and a core axially traversing and magnetizable by flow of current through said coil, a signal audibly responsive to restoration of interrupted current flow htrough said circuit, said signal comprising a strip member mounted longitudinally of and exteriorly adjacent said coil to rock in a plane radially of the coil about a substantially-horizontal axis intermediate the strip ends, a lower end portion outstanding angularly from said member and terminating in a contact plate of magnetically-susceptible material engageable against and for retention by the magnetized lower end of the core when the member is substantially vertical, a finger shorter than said lower end portion outstanding from the upper end of said member and terminating in a free end vibratorily reactive in appropriate close approach to the magnetized upper end of the core, whereby the free end of said finger is retracted out of coacting relation with the upper end of the core when said contact plate is held to the lower end of the core and the unbalanced weight of the member and its elements acts under the influence of gravity to approach the finger free end to the upper end of the core when said contact plate is released from its magnetic grip to the lower end of the core, and adjustable stop means engageable by said member to limit approach of the finger free end to the core; together with means manually and selectively actuable to rock said member into engagement of the contact plate with the lower end of the core.

8. In an electric circuit including an electromagnetic coil with its axis substantially vertical and a core axially traversing and magnetizable by flow of current through said coil, a signal audibly responsive to restoration of interrupted current flow through said circuit, said signal comprising a strip member mounted longitudinally of and exteriorly adjacent said coil to rock in a plane radially of the coil about a substantially-horizontal axis intermediate the strip ends, a lower end portion outstanding angularly from said member and terminating in a contact plate of magnetically-susceptible material engageable against and for retention by the magnetized lower end of the core when the member is substantially vertical, a finger shorter than said lower end portion outstanding from the upper end of said member and terminating in a free end vibratorily reactive in appropriate close approach to the magnetized upper end of the core, whereby the free end of said finger is retracted out of coacting relation with the upper end of the core when said contact plate is held to the lower end of the core and the unbalanced weight of the member and its elements acts under the influence of gravity to approach the finger free end to the upper end of the core when said contact plate is released from its magnetic grip to the lower end of the core, and adjustable stop means engageable by said member to limit approach of the finger free end to the core; together with a lever manually and selectively actuable about a hinge axis spacedly paralleling the axis supporting said member to swing said member away from said stop means and into engagemnet of the contact plate with the lower end of the core.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,513,913 Boyles July 4, 1950 2,552,331 Lamb May 8, 1951 2,566,597 Cass Sept. 4, 1951 

